Page 53 of Ryder’s Storm

“Good, ‘cause you make me so fucking horny that I want to bend you over right here, right now, and fuck you until neither of us can move another limb.”

He pressed his lips to her and kissed her passionately, his hands already on the T-shirt he’d taken from Vanessa’s closet since he’d ripped hers earlier.

His cell phone rang. He recognized the ringtone as that assigned to his sister’s number, and ripped his lips from Scarlet’s. “Damn it, that’s Nessie. I’ve gotta take this.”

He answered the call and pressed the cell phone to his ear. “Yeah?”

“I need your help. There’s been an attack.”

Alarmed, he asked, “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, but somebody else wasn’t as lucky. A girl is badly wounded. She was attacked by a vampire. He fled when he saw me.”

“Shit! One of ours?”

“No. Never seen him before.”

“Did you call HQ?”

“I did. Nobody’s close enough. I’m in the Marina. You’re the closest.”

“Send me your location.”

“Thanks, Ryder.”

He disconnected the call, and a moment later, his cell phone pinged. Vanessa had sent him her location.

“What’s wrong?” Scarlet said, concern flickering in her eyes.

“Somebody was assaulted.”

“Your sister? Oh my God!”

“She’s fine, but I have to help the girl that’s with her.”

“Has she called 9-1-1?”

Ryder hesitated for an instant. Scarlet wouldn’t understand why they couldn’t just call an ambulance. A vampire attack had to be dealt with by Scanguards directly. No outsider could find out what had really happened, or their secret would be exposed. It would create a widespread panic in the city.

“The girl is under Scanguards’ protection. We can’t involve the police or bring her to a hospital.”

“But—”

“It’s complicated. I will explain later.” Once he’d come up with a believable cover story. “Let’s go.” He lifted Scarlet off the bar stool and set her on her feet.

“I’m coming with you?”

“Yeah. I’m still your bodyguard. I can’t leave your side.”

It was true, though there was very little chance that anybody would find her and harm her at his home. But she’d already found his stash of blood—although she’d mistaken it for tomato juice—and he couldn’t afford for her to stumble upon anything else that she might find odd in his home. The tinted windows came to mind. All windows in the house were covered with a special film that filtered out the UV rays of the sun that would burn and ultimately kill a vampire. The invention enabled vampires to live virtually normal lives in their own homes.

“Okay,” she agreed.

“Let me get you one of Nessie’s jackets,” Ryder said and went to the hall closet where he chose a jacket that would protect Scarlet from the cool San Francisco night air. “Here.”

She slipped into it, and moments later, they left and hopped into Ryder’s SUV. He’d already memorized Vanessa’s location and was headed down one of the steepest streets in the city, Divisadero.

“So if you’re not planning to bring the injured girl to a hospital, what are you gonna do?” Scarlet asked, casting him a sideways look.