Page 72 of Ryder’s Storm

“A positive,” Jenny replied while she took a clipboard and walked toward the waiting room.

Vanessa jumped up, and went to a large stainless-steel refrigerator. She opened it, revealing a large supply of blood, both in bottle form as well as in clear bags meant to be given intravenously. Vanessa grabbed one of the bags and hurried to bay three. She disappeared behind its curtain.

“Your sister is trained as a nurse? I didn’t realize. No wonder she was so competent with Lizzy last night,” Scarlet said, her gaze shifting from the refrigerator with the blood back to Ryder.

“Yeah, Nessie’s pretty much a Jill-of-all-trades.” What else could he say? Jenny wasn’t a trained nurse either. She was a vampire whom Maya had recruited to help with running her growing practice.

“I hope Lizzy is doing better.”

Ryder gave Scarlet a reassuring smile and looked past her and saw that the door to room two opened. “Let’s ask her. Mom is just finishing with her.”

Side by side, Ryder and Scarlet walked to the room, from which Maya was just emerging. When Maya saw them, she said, “Can you guys give me a couple of minutes? I quickly need to check on a patient.”

“Take your time, Mom,” Ryder said. “We’ll say hi to Lizzy in the meantime.”

“Good, she was asking about you.” Maya turned back toward the door and opened it wider. “Lizzy, you’ve got visitors.”

Maya walked away, and Ryder and Scarlet entered the room, where Lizzy was sitting up in a hospital bed, looking much better than the night before. She even smiled.

“Ryder, your mom told me that you saved my life when you—”

“Vanessa did much more than I did,” Ryder interrupted before Lizzy could blurt that he’d given her his blood to help her heal. “She deserves the credit.”

“I’m so grateful, to all of you,” Lizzy said, then shifted her gaze to Scarlet, addressing her directly, “This guy’s a keeper.”

“Yes, he is.” Scarlet beamed at him, making his heart swell with affection, before she looked back at Lizzy. “You look great today. I can’t believe how fast you’re healing.”

Suddenly the sound of metal clanging against metal and heavy items crashing to the floor filled the medical suite amidst loud grunts and shouts. Ryder whirled around and saw the curtain of emergency bay three being ripped down from its rail on the ceiling, two people behind it fighting.

“Nessie!” Ryder screamed and charged out of Lizzy’s room.

“The V-CON!”, Vanessa yelped just as her attacker flung her across the room, knocking her against a hospital bed.

“Fuck!” Ryder cursed.

The V-CON she’d been treating emerged from the bay, one hand still in handcuffs. The handcuff was attached to a double rail, but he’d torn it loose from the gurney. His eyes were glaring red and orange, his fangs extended and dripping with blood. Shit!

“Guards!” Ryder screamed. “The V-CON is loose!” But he couldn’t wait for the guards to help, because the V-CON was now coming toward him. His eyes focused on something behind Ryder, his chest heaving. His hands had turned into dangerous claws. He was in full attack mode.

Ryder had no choice but to lunge at the violent vampire, his intention clear, because behind Ryder was Lizzy’s room with Scarlet in it.

“Scarlet, lock the—”

The rest of his words didn’t make it over his lips, because he collided with the massive V-CON. The assailant kicked him with the metal rail attached to the handcuff on his wrist, but Ryder fought back, his body hardening, his vision tinting red. With the sharp barbs on his fingers, Ryder swiped the V-CON’s arm, leaving deep cuts. Blood splattered, but his opponent didn’t let his injury slow him down. Ryder punched him hard, then kicked him, flinging him against the nurse’s station.

But the vampire growled, enraged even more now. He pushed off the counter and plowed into Ryder, this time knocking the wind out of him.

As Ryder went down, his back hitting a crash cart, he saw Vanessa get to her feet, her eyes red now, her fangs extended, ready to help him fight the V-CON. The bastard was heading toward Lizzy’s room. Shit!

When Ryder scrambled to his feet to cut the V-CON off, he realized that the door to Lizzy’s room was still open. Scarlet stood there as if paralyzed, her face a mask of horror. Behind her, Lizzy ripped her IV from her arm and jumped out of bed.

Fuck! The V-CON would attack Scarlet.

“The door!” Ryder yelled, before he lunged again and tackled the V-CON to the ground. “Nessie! Get Scarlet and Lizzy outta here!”

He didn’t know if Vanessa had heard him, because several people screamed and the crazed vampire punched and kicked him, despite his position on the ground. He was strong, and a good fifty pounds heavier than Ryder—and by the crazed look in his eyes in a state of bloodlust. The V-CON managed to push Ryder off him, and scrambled to his feet. But Ryder was fast too, and motivated. He couldn’t let the V-CON reach Scarlet and hurt her.

The assailant was only a few feet away from Scarlet now, when Ryder reached him. He grabbed the double rail attached to the V-CON’s handcuffs and hooked his arm between the bars, then used all his weight and strength to twist it, and flung the assailant against the wall next to Lizzy’s room.