Blood Secrets-Valorian 1 by Vivi Anna Page B

surveyed the growing crowd. Finally, his gaze rested in the corner. The darkest corner, Eve noticed. It figures.
    “In the corner. Gnash and Xavier.”
    “Thank you.” Caine glanced at Mahina. “Let’s go in nice and slow. Don’t want to spook them.” He glanced over his shoulder at Eve. “Stay behind me.”
    He didn’t need to tell her. She had already slid in behind him, with her hand on her ALS
    flashlight. It wasn’t a gun, but somehow it made her feel better to know it was there. It hadn’t stopped the skinny vampire from the hotel, but she didn’t plan on letting anyone else get the jump on her like that again.
    As she looked past Caine to the corner where the two men sat in the shadows, Eve wondered if they were going to run.
    Seconds later, she had her answer.
    Faster than she could discern, the two men were up and dashing for the back exit, clearly marked by the flashing red sign. They knocked over tables and chairs on their way across the room.
    Mahina and Caine were right behind them. On instinct, Eve followed them. It was either that, or stay in the blood bar with several hungry vampires.
    She pushed through the metal door and saw Mahina running down the alley one way, and Caine running the other. He glanced over his shoulder at her just as she came rushing out.
    “Stay there, Eve! Don’t move from that spot!” He turned and ran, disappearing around the corner onto the main street.
    The moment he was gone, Eve became very aware of the shadows creeping across the alley’s cracked cement walls and road. Turning around, she reached for the door handle, but found nothing but smooth painted metal. She was locked out. There was no going back in unless she walked around front and went in through the main door again.
    Caine had told her to stay put, but she had foolishly left her kit on the floor near the bar.
    What if someone took it? There would be hell to pay if she lost all her equipment. They would need the evidence-gathering tools if they caught the suspects.
    Glancing back and forth down the alley again, she made up her mind. She would quickly race around front, go in to retrieve her kit and wait for Caine by the SUV. No harm, no foul.

    Sucking in a deep breath, Eve edged along the wall toward the mouth of the alley, keeping her back pressed against the gray cement. Her blouse clung to her like wet sand.
    The heat from the night and from a hearty dose of dread had rivulets of sweat running down her back and chest.
    A clanging echoed down the road. Stopping, she glanced over her shoulder, her breath heaving in her chest. An empty pop bottle rolled across the cement.
    Just a cat, Eve thought.
    She swung back around and continued to creep along the wall. She got maybe another two feet, before the hair on the back of her neck rose to attention, like quills on a porcupine. Something was definitely behind her. Grasping the flashlight in her hand, she flicked it on and swiveled around pointing the light like a ray gun.
    Nothing.
    The space behind her was empty, except for the swirling discarded newspapers on the ground. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to calm her erratic breathing and her pounding heart. Her hands shook as she flicked the button off on the flashlight.
    Shaking her head at her own fear, Eve turned back around to continue her way out of the alley. Maybe she was being stupid by moving. She had been relatively safe standing with her back to the door, hadn’t she? And Caine did tell her to stay put. For once, she decided to do what she was told.
    Her back flattened against the wall, she turned back toward the way she came. She ended up face-to-face with glowing white eyes and snarling fangs.
    “Hello, gorgeous.”
    The flashlight was knocked out of her hand, and Eve was twisted around with a power lock around her neck. She was pulled up tight against a tall, very powerful male body.
    Tears of pain sprung to her eyes as he tightened his grip around her throat and