B005EMAYWS EBOK by Lorraine Kennedy Page A

Summer was starting to put the pieces together. It would explain the bodies being drained of blood, and the torn throats could be the result of a careless hunter, or someone that wanted to cover the true nature of the crimes.
    “Yes, most of them. But I think that the murders in Reno are a little more personal than that,” he informed her.
    “What do you mean?”
    “I can’t really explain right now, but I want you to leave with me tonight,” Anton insisted.
    “I’ve already told you that I am not going anywhere right now.”
    “If you don’t come with me, I will leave without you,” he warned.
    His words took Summer by surprise. She was expecting him to demand that she go with him, or stay until she gave in.”
    “I have no choice. My being here is putting others in danger … especially you.” Anton grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. “I’ll have to leave you.”
    “I don’t understand.” Summer fought to control the pain that was threatening to consume her. Despite her brave words of being able to handle a quick fling with him, she knew that she would be devastated if he were gone.
    “If I stay here I will continue to take you to my bed … and we can’t keep doing this when you are to be,” he paused, as if picking his words carefully, “someone else’s wife.” Anton’s voice was gentle, but his words stung.
    “But …” Summer blurted out.
    Anton cut her off. “Please let me finish. There is also the fact that while I am with you, this vampire will not rest until you are dead.”
    “But why?”
    “I don’t want to explain, and there is no reason to, as long as I am gone.” His voice grew hard.
    “So this is connected to you somehow.” Summer slid from the table and picked up her purse. “Please drop me at the campus.”
    “That’s not a good idea,” he warned.
    Summer barely heard him. She had already turned to leave. Tears stung her eyes and she quickly brushed them away so that he wouldn’t see them.
     
     
     

Chapter Six
     
    It was barely 4:00 AM and daybreak was still a couple hours away. She scarcely noticed the darkness as she walked through the lonely campus parking lot. Her heart was shattering into thousands of pieces, and the one man that could put it back together, had just left.
    Summer fumbled with her keys, looking for the one that would open the door to the Social Science building. She had nowhere else to go but to work. Her apartment was off limits, and she didn’t want to stay with Anton. Knowing he was leaving was one thing, but she didn’t think that she could stand to watch him leave.
    Summer stepped into the darkened foyer, locking the door behind her. Her footsteps echoed through the hall as she walked toward her office. Though there was the occasional nightlight to cut through the shadows, it was still dim enough that she was more than just a little uncomfortable.
    As she picked up her pace, the air around her seemed to become heavy, almost too thick to breathe. All of a sudden the back of her neck began to tingle, and she felt as if she were being watched. She knew that her perceived change in the atmosphere was really her sixth sense kicking in - warning her of danger. Just then, she reached her office and unlocked the door as quickly as possible.
    Once inside, Summer secured the door and allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. The emergency lights were not working for some reason, so it was impossible to see anything. Feeling around on the wall beside the door, she searched for the light switch. She flipped the switch on and the room was flooded with fluorescent light. It took a few minutes before Summer was able to push the fear away. In her current state of mind, the familiarity of the office felt like an old friend.
    She placed her purse and overnight bag on the floor next to her desk before turning on her PC. Wanting to do something routine, Summer checked her email. She reasoned that there could be a message from Detective Pierce, or