Vampires Among Us [Vampires Among Us 1] (Siren Publishing Classic)

in said temper, he knew if he ever had the opportunity to get his hands on Shawn, that man had better pray the devil would go easy on him. Kevin would see him destroyed, one way or another. Erica deserved a much better life so much more of a better life than what she had been dealing with.
    “I’m so sorry,” he stammered, his eyes glued to those ugly dark markings marring her soft flesh.
    “It’s okay,” Erica whispered trying to force a smile as she quickly lowered the shirt back down. Besides, her ribs were far from the only thing hurting her. Her knees were becoming wobbly as exhaustion suddenly took over her body. She found herself leaning forward just a little to rest her forehead on Kevin’s chest for support. Her eyes started to sting, a sure sign that tears were on their way. She berated herself mentally. Surely Kevin wouldn’t want a weeping woman clinging to him while standing in the middle of his driveway! He had been nice enough to give her a place to hide and crash, not knowing the danger he was putting both himself and his family in. The least she could do was suck up her discomfort, at least until she was alone.
    As Kevin placed his hand on the back of her head as she rested against his shoulder, all of her thoughts were open to him. He could have roared at her for thinking that she had to endure her pain silently. And what was she thinking, telling him it was okay that he had inadvertently hurt her by squeezing her too hard? Had she been abused so much that she just thought that was the way things were? How dare she think so low of herself and hold herself in such low esteem! Didn’t she know how special she was? Knowing that if he opened his mouth, everything would come out wrong, he kept silent and stroked her hair.
    Even as he held her against him, he felt her swaying slightly, and he realized they were still standing in the open on his driveway. Remembering that Shawn’s whereabouts were still in question, he gently moved his hand down to the small of her back to lead her to the house.
    “Let’s get you inside, and I’ll introduce you to my family,” Kevin stated, as he gave her a light smile in an attempt to help her feel comfortable.
    As they walked up the sidewalk to the house, Kevin kept his arm wrapped protectively around her, and Erica felt an unexplained calmness sweep over her. Her natural instinct was to fight it, but she was too exhausted, and simply did not have the strength. She found herself giving in and allowed herself the warmth it provided.
    As they neared the house, Erica found herself gawking. The house reminded her of an apartment building, simply based on its size. Never having been exposed to anything quite so large, she suddenly felt small and intimidated. She threw a nervous glance to Kevin, who gave her a confident smile as he continued propelling her towards the door. Now this is different, she mused. She had known Kevin for months and he never acted as if he came from money.
    They entered the front door, and Kevin dropped his arm from around her. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.” He gave her a quick smile before turning on his heel and disappearing down the hallway. Erica stood in the now-vacant foyer, looking and feeling like a lost puppy dog.
    Kevin went to search out his parents. There hadn’t been time to explain everything to them before Erica arrived. Even though for all practical purposes, everyone in the house had their own living quarters, he felt it would be good manners to let his parents know he would be having someone stay with him. Also, the fact that there would be a human wandering around the house. This was something all other family members would want to be aware of, not that they wouldn’t be able to smell her a mile away.
    Kevin headed straight to his father’s office, certain he would find both of his parents there. He took a moment to reflect upon the two individuals he owed his life to. Even though everyone in the house was a vampire, and therefore, of no blood relation to one another, it seemed to have very little impact on this family at all. The outside story had been that Charles and Rosetta had been unable to conceive children, and therefore adopted Kevin and his three sisters. Truly, for two vampires, conception is impossible. Charles had found each of the siblings shortly after they had been turned, their very lives turned upside down, and brought each of them into his and Rosetta’s loving family. Under the