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

to tell about it. But where would she go?
    She dug into her purse to find the slip of paper Kevin had given her earlier. He had told her he had a large house which he shared with his family. She really didn’t want to put anyone else at risk, but was smart enough to know that if she didn’t surround herself with people, she would never make it. “I wonder if he would mind a houseguest,” she mumbled as her fingers were already punching in his number.
     
    * * * *
     
    Kevin had let time slip away from him, not wanting to leave Erica, and it had almost caused him to be late for work. One look at his face, and Kevin’s second-in-command, Marshall, knew the boss was not in a good mood.
    “Bad day at school today?” Marshall teased.
    Kevin looked up from his desk and growled. “I want that bastard staked and baked!”
    “Exactly which bastard are you referring to?” Marshall replied calmly, with a smirk on his face.
    “Shawn Harper,” Kevin growled out in reply.
    “Last thing I heard we were waiting until his human wife was safely out of the way before we went after him. Has something changed?” Marshall continued as he calmly sat back in his office chair and folded his arms over his chest.
    Kevin’s cell phone rang, preventing him from replying. He quickly glanced at the caller ID as he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He wondered what could have possibly gone wrong in this short of a time.
    “Erica,” Kevin breathed into the phone. It hit him how much he really just wanted to hear her voice.
    “Kevin, yes, it’s me. Did you truly mean what you said earlier today about helping me?” Erica asked, a little uncertainly.
    “Tell me what I can do to help,” Kevin replied smoothly, sitting up in his desk chair and automatically grabbing for a pen.
    “How do you feel about a houseguest for a few days? I need a place to hide, just until I can get things under control and feel secure to be on my own.” Kevin was rendered speechless momentarily. It seemed he had been waiting for this day to come forever. Now that it had arrived, he prayed that he would truly have a chance with this young woman.
    “Erica, you are more than welcome to stay with me. Do you need help getting to me? Where are you? Where is Shawn? Did he hurt you again?” Kevin, in his excitement, started questioning her in rapid-fire fashion.
    She giggled a bit nervously. “I’m fine, and I am at my house right now. Shawn is gone, and probably will be until later tonight. I am going to gather a few things and make a run for it. Can I meet you at your house in an hour?”
    “I will be waiting for you,” Kevin replied. “If you have any problems, call me immediately, and I’ll come and get you.”
     
    * * * *
     
    Erica closed her eyes as she grew silent for a moment. If she ran into problems, there wasn’t a soul in the world that would be able to help her. She quietly whispered a tortured thank you to Kevin, and promised she would meet him at his house in one hour.
    As she headed to the front door of her house, she felt her knees trembling and threatening to give out, but she could also feel the adrenaline starting to pump through her veins. A small smile stole at the corners of her lips. She was finally taking back control of her life. She only hoped that God was smiling down on her and would keep Shawn away until she had made an escape. She was well aware he could show up at any given moment.
    She unlocked the front door with shaky fingers and walked inside. Now that the decision had been made, she wanted to get out of this house just as quickly as possible. She quickly found an overnight bag and threw a couple of changes of clothes in it, then went to the bathroom and threw in a few necessities. What she was going to do after a few days, she knew not. She would deal with that, when the time came. Right now, she just wanted to get out while it seemed safe.
    It took her only a short time to gather what was needed. She quickly glanced out the window, before heading out the front door, to verify the driveway was still clear. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and peered outside. All she had to do now was make it to her car, and out to the main road.
    As she carefully slid into the drivers’ side of her car, the enormity of what she was doing hit her squarely in the gut. Her heart was racing uncontrollably, and as she started feeling a bit lightheaded, she realized she had been holding her breath since walking out the door. She