Blood Candy (16 page)

A metallic pop sent ringing through her ears.
Vivian ripped her door off the hinges and then flung it into the
ditch. Candy screamed as he snatched her out of the car.

Jimmy reached for her. “Candy!”

The crazy British vampire unceremoniously
dumped her on the side of the road where it sloped down into the
ditch. She tried to back away from him but he kept walking circles
around her.

“Leave us alone!”

Vivian went back to the Pinto and snagged
Jimmy out by his shirt, tossing him over the ditch as if he was
nothing more than a toy. Jimmy hit the ground hard next to Candy.
Vivian then tore the back door part way off the hinges and leaned
in, trying to pull Medium Dave out as well.

“Why’d you go and knock them into a bloody
ditch?” Rupert said. He was still wearing the checkered red and
black uniform. “You could have hurt the girl, you idiot. Get down
here.”

Vivian gave up trying to fish the last kicking
Misfit out of the car. With a crazed smile showing off his fangs,
he went to stand over Jimmy.

“It’s like you’re trying to avoid me,” Rupert
said. “You’re not trying to avoid me, are you?”

When Jimmy tried to stand up, Vivian kicked
him back down. Candy yelled and Rupert lifted her up by her sore
arm. Smacking his chest did no good. He took hold of her chin so
she had to face him. He was far too strong and the only thing she
could do was close her eyes.

“I don’t like the way you’ve been avoiding
me,” he said. “Why do you torment me like this?”

“You’re an asshole! You have no right to do
this to us!”

“I have no right? You tease me, you shake all
of your desirables in my face and then you run away. You had no
right to tempt me with the sweetest blood of all.”

“I didn’t tease you with anything. You took
it. You tricked me!”

Rupert ignored her accusations. “I’m
disappointed in you. How could you do this to me? How could you go
to the Mullins? Now you’ve caused a big fuss, Candy. And it’s all
because of these shapeshifters.”

Rupert looked past her and laughed when Jimmy
cried out. Candy hated the sight of his fangs and she was glad when
he turned her around, until she saw Vivian holding Jimmy off the
ground by his underwear at full arm’s length. Jimmy’s face
practically glowed red as he spun several feet in the air. Each
time he cried out in pain both of the Brits howled with
laughter.

“Let him go!”

Rupert wrapped an arm around her chest so she
couldn’t get to Jimmy; she had to stand there watching him spin in
the air by his underwear. Vivian then bounced his arm up and down,
prompting the tortured Misfit to scream again, his face splotching
deep purple. The vampires were breathless.

“Bloody good wedgie!” Rupert howled. “What do
you think of your boyfriend now?”

“You’re cowards.” Candy feared they would do
much worse to Jimmy than humiliate him. Tears welled in her
eyes.

“Come now. Is this really what you want?”
Rupert said. “Look at him, he’s pathetic. Why doesn’t he change
into a wolf? He’s nothing, Candy. But that doesn’t matter anymore
because you belong to me. I have you now.”

A new voice echoed out into the night, “Leave
them alone. This is my family’s domain and you’re not welcome
here.”

Blake stepped into view from behind the
glaring headlights. Both British vampires twisted around to see who
it was. They scowled and showed off their fangs. Seeing Blake
standing there alone, Vivian dropped Jimmy on his face, grinning
and rubbing his hands together.

“’
E din’ invoit us! Bes’ we run
‘long,” the crazy vampire said.

“What are you going to do, Blakey Boy?” Rupert
said with a grin. “Your whore of a mother’s not here to save
you.”

Candy crawled over to Jimmy while he dug the
underwear out of his crack. She noticed his eyes had changed color
to a golden hue and he looked like he was about to flip out. She
leaned down close to him.

“You have to change. Jimmy, do you hear
me?”

Focus returned to his eyes. He glanced up at
the vampires. “I can’t,” he said. “I’m shift shy.”

Candy gawked at him. “What?”

Blake took a step forward and snapped his
fingers.

“Don’t ever come around here. I don’t want to
see your faces. You better disappear,” he said with fire in his
eyes and his words really clear.

Three more figures stepped forward behind
Blake, silhouettes against the headlights. Chester took position at
his side while the other two, who Candy couldn’t make out, stood
behind them. Blake clenched his jaw.

“You better run. Don’t be a macho man,” he
said.

Rupert hesitated and then laughed. He didn’t
seem in the least concerned by the other vampire’s strange warning
and the fact that he and Vivian were outnumbered two to one, not
counting the Misfits.

“Want to make a good fight of it, do you?”
Rupert said. “I’m not leaving here without the girl, without
my
girl. Vivian loves a fight against the odds.”

Blake didn’t back down. His eyes passed over
Candy and then settled on Jimmy. He gave a slight nod before
turning his focus back on the unwelcome vampires.

“Just beat it,” he said.

“You started this, Blakey Boy. You and your
family have some big balls bringing this up with the Magister. Fuck
you and fuck that pompous bastard.”

Candy helped Jimmy up. He walked on the tips
of his shoes with his back arched while still digging out his
drawers. Medium Dave had managed to crawl out of the Pinto and met
them near the ditch. Jimmy leaned close to him and whispered, “Get
us out of here.”

Medium Dave nodded and then took his shirt
off, revealing a pale bird chest specked with a few dark hairs. He
quickly unbuckled his pants while the vampires went on taunting
each other, or whatever Blake was saying to buy time. When he
dropped down onto his knees, Candy wasn’t sure she wanted to see
him change into a wolf, but she couldn’t look away. She hoped it
would be smooth and quick the way it had been with
Were-Jew.

Rupert shouted. “Get the girl!”

Vivian spun around. Blake leapt forward and
kicked Vivian in the groin so hard the sound of it echoed into the
night. Vivian’s mouth dropped open and his hands instinctively went
downward. Candy turned back around to see Jimmy sitting on the back
of a moose.

“Get on!” he said with his hand extended out
to her.

She couldn’t move. She stared at the moose—at
Medium Dave. Shaking away the confusion, she let Jimmy pull her up
onto the massive animal’s back. She clenched her legs tightly
against the barrel chest and wrapped her arms around Jimmy. Medium
Dave took off like the wind.

Candy never knew a moose could run so
fast.

Trees, street signs, parked cars, and
buildings whizzed by. Candy had to hold on for dear life as the
wind blasted against her. Medium Dave had to be sprinting faster
than the speed limit posted on the street. She thanked God for the
absence of any cars on the road at that hour of the
morning.

Medium Dave took them down the street and into
a park. He had made enough distance and in the darkness of the
unlit area he slowed down to a trot, taking in deep and heavy
breaths. He then trotted across several more streets until finally
they came to his neighborhood.

“We lost them,” Jimmy said. “We should be
safe.”

Medium Dave sprinted one last time until they
reached his house. The SUV was parked in the driveway. Were-Jew was
sitting on the front steps smoking a cigarette. He jumped up and
ran down to them.

“What’s going on?” he said.

Jimmy dropped down from the back of the moose
and then helped Candy. “Rupert found us again,” he said. “I’m
pretty sure we lost them. Blake and his brothers showed up and
helped.”

Medium Dave shifted back into his human form.
Completely nude and still struggling to catch his breath, he walked
over to stand beside Were-Jew. Candy kept her focus above his
waist, though she did notice he had a nice butt.

“I knew we should have stayed together,”
Were-Jew said. “No more splitting up from now on. As a matter of
fact, I’m setting up a watch tonight.”

Felicia met them at the front door as they
came into the house. Melvin had fallen asleep in the recliner and
had to reach for his glasses. Jimmy told them what
happened.

“They found us again,” he said. “Rupert and
his psychotic brother.”

“What’s with your britches?” Felicia said.
Candy hadn’t noticed the ripped underwear hanging down from the
back of Jimmy’s pants.

“Don’t worry about that,” Jimmy told her.
“We’re setting up watch until dawn. We all need sleep.”

Melvin nodded. “I just slept for about half an
hour. I’ll take first watch with Were-Jew and then I’ll wake you
and Paul for the last hour or so.”

Candy and Felicia went up to the guest room.
Candy didn’t argue about who would get the bed or the couch; they
both fell exhausted onto the bed. Though her heart still raced,
Candy fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow.

Chapter Thirteen

Candy couldn’t look away from his alluring
eyes.

He ran his hands through her hair, bent his
head down to her neck. She cried out, yearning for the pain. She
yelled his name over and over again.

“Candy!”

Felicia shook her so violently her teeth
rattled. Candy opened her eyes and gaped at her, unsure what was
going on.

“You were dreaming,” Felicia said.

It was morning, or more than likely closer to
noon. Rubbing her face, Candy rolled over to sit on the side of the
bed. A small smile tugged the corners of her mouth; she dreamed
about Blake and not Rupert. He freed her. With the way Felicia was
looking at her, Candy realized she must have been talking—or
worse—in her sleep. Her face burned.

“I’m going to take a shower,” she said,
hurrying out of the room.

Candy quickly washed and then let the hot
water run over her body. The dream had been vague, unlike the
vividness of the dream with Rupert. She had been with Blake, though
she didn’t know where. He made promises and he made her feel safe.
In the dream she wanted to be with him. In the dream his eyes never
let her go. She wanted him to bite her. She wanted him because she
hated Rupert. When she came out of the bathroom, Jimmy was in the
guestroom with Felicia.

“Do you want to get some breakfast?” he asked
Candy. “Well, it’s past noon, so lunch I mean.”

“Maybe in a little bit. I need to talk to
Felicia if you don’t mind.”

Jimmy nodded and left the two girls alone in
the room.

“What’s up?” Felicia said.

Candy sat on the end of the bed. “You know
what happened last night?” Felicia nodded. “This is insane. How
does he keep finding me? This has to be illegal or
something.”

Felicia didn’t say anything for a moment,
making Candy wonder what could be going on in her head. “I don’t
know how he’s finding you,” she said. “I know vampires have some
strange powers, but I’ve never heard of this.”

Candy didn’t want to think about it anymore.
“What did you hear while I was sleeping?”

Felicia tried to suppress a smile. “A whole
lot about Blake.”

Candy sighed and looked at the
ground.

“Are you ashamed?” Felicia asked
her.

“I don’t know. What would you think? I mean, I
barely know him and I’m having
that
kind of dream. But it
wasn’t exactly that kind.” She shook her head. “I don’t
know.”

“Well you are a virgin.”

“I’m glad that was a topic of discussion while
I was asleep.”

“Sorry, but it is kind of important. It’s at
least some of the reason Rupert’s after you. The Mullin mother
never told you what makes your blood so special aside from
that?”

“No.” Candy hadn’t thought about it until now
and it made her curious all over again.

“I had an idea,” Felicia said. Candy didn’t
like the wry grin that crept over her face. “Maybe if you go ahead
and give it up, maybe that will spoil your blood or something. It
couldn’t hurt to try and it will certainly clear up the tension
between you and Jimmy.”

“What tension? There’s no tension. I’m not
giving up anything.”

Felicia narrowed her eyes. “I’m not stupid,
you know. I’ve been around long enough to know sexual tension when
I see it, and you’re wound up so tight you’re ready to
explode.”

Candy’s mouth dropped open. “Am
not!”

“I call it the way I see it. Why are you, a
blonde bombshell, still a virgin? You don’t come off as the
religious type so you’re not waiting to get married. And
considering the way you were dressed the other night you’re
certainly not shy.”

Candy crossed her arms. She wanted to tell
Felicia to shut her trap, but the redhead was mostly right. “I
don’t know,” she said. “I’ve just never met a good enough
guy.”