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Giving my head a quick shake, I pushed off the door. “Stupid, fucking girl,” I growled as I hurried toward the woman’s half of the locker room to grab my stuff.
Stupid hormones, more like it. I hadn’t had sex since Gannon ghosted me just days after my father’s funeral, and the dry spell was obviously clouding my better judgment. “Just say no to sex with vamps,” I reminded myself as quietly as possible, lest Vinny hear me through the walls.
I unsheathed my practice stakes from the holster and tossed them into the empty locker, then shouldered my bag and slammed the door, freezing when the sound of Vinny’s low chuckle echoed through the locker room.
That innately vampiric ability to remain impossibly silent while creeping up on prey was beyond unfair.
As was the way his nearness made my body react with another hot rush of desire.
I cursed under my breath and scanned the darkness for him.
“Careful, little Fiorino,” he warned. His voice was everywhere and nowhere all at once, echoing in the space and sending goosebumps over my skin. “I might start to think you’re coming around.”
With a huff, I rolled my eyes. “Fat chance.”
I couldn’t see him, but I didn’t need to. His sensuous laugh followed me all the way to the door, and I half-expected—wanted?—him to reach me before I made it outside, grab me by the neck, and haul me backwards into his body.
I’d fantasized about Vinny too many times to count, and though I was reluctant to admit it, the fantasy often involved him taking charge—and taking the decision away from me altogether.
Saved from my own torrid thoughts, when I stepped outside and the door closed behind me, the chill of the night air was the only bite I would experience tonight, thank God.
I’d chalk up that twist of disappointment in my belly to hunger pains.
Chapter Four
Jack
As soon as I entered through the back door of Dad’s shop and it closed behind me, I knew something was wrong. The air felt different… shifted somehow.
I breathed deeply as I settled into a ready stance, reaching for the stakes at my sides—
Fuck. My hands came up empty.
Back at the gym, I’d been so focused on my reaction to Vinny that I never replaced the plastic stakes with wood ones. Stupid!
In the darkness, my eyesight was limited, but I knew this shop well and could maneuver through it with my eyes closed. If there was a human intruder, keeping the lights off left them at a disadvantage. Additionally, I had no doubt in my abilities to defend myself after months of training with Vinny and I had multiple weapons within arms’ reach at my disposal.
If this intruder was of a different nature, however, only one thing would do. And my wooden stakes were tucked safely within the confines of the duffel bag sitting in the backseat of my old Dodge. I’d be a fool to think a vampire would allow me time to run back outside, get the bag from the car, and holster my weapons.
Besides, even if I was naive enough to try, Vinny had demonstrated countless times how fast he could move, how very unfairly we were matched.
And here I was, completely unprepared.
Caught off guard, all that training for naught.
But I wouldn’t go down without a fight.
So instead of arming myself with wooden stakes, like a prepared person would do, I’d have to think fast on my feet. But I had the upper hand; I grew up in this shop and ran it now in my father’s absence. I knew it like the back of my hand.
Ahead of me to the left, the walk-in freezer had rows of metal hooks. Terrifying and dangerous, sure, just not against an immortal monster.
Directly across from the freezer to my right, was my father’s office.
In the center of that office, sat a wooden desk. Much too big to break and definitely not with any speed. But off to the side, a wooden stool. Difficult, but I liked my chances with the stool more than the desk. At least I could smash the stool against the desk and use a leg as a makeshift stake. It wasn’t ideal, but I was out of options.
Taking in a deep, steadying breath as quietly as I could, I sidled up against the wall and began to inch my way toward the office, heart beating wildly against my ribs.
Sweat beaded on my neck, dampened my palms.
