FANGED

Chapter Sixteen

Fang's brows dropped to a deep scowl as he bought one hand up to his forehead, pulling some his silky hair away from his face and trapping it on the top of his head. He looked from the shattered remains of the vase to my grinning face and back. Clearly, he had not expected a response like the one he just got and I had all I could do to not start doing the Dougie. Instead, I swung my spoon shovel over my shoulder and gave him a smug look.

"Was that necessary?" he asked, turning to me and giving me one of those disapproving frowns he was so talented at as he slid his hands to his hips.

"You got the point, didn't you?" I felt my stomach tighten uncomfortably as he continued to stare at me. I tried to shake it off. After all, disapproving looks were something I was totally accustomed to, but for some weird reason...it irked me I had let him down.

Which was ridiculous. It was his clan of hippies who wanted me dead. I needed to remember that little factoid. He may be a handsome devil with a body I would like to turn into my own personal playground, but he was also a paid lackey for the Colony.

He narrowed his gaze. "Why this sudden change of attitude?" He took an intimidating step forward. "What else did you remember?"

Whipping my weapon off my shoulder, I sent him a warning swing. "Come any closer to me and your head is going to be knocked off to right field," I hissed.

There was a long pause. Me doing a perfect Reggie Jackson stance and Fang clenching his jaw so tight, I could hear his molars grind. You know, that's not a really particularly pleasant sound, I thought flinching.

"If I had wanted to kill you, Red, I could have done it a thousand times over already." His softly spoken argument sliced through the silence of our stand-off.

His words stunned me. I had thought the very same thing when I chose to escape Thumbelina's cottage with him. But, in my defense, that was before I knew about the Colony or the Elders. And let's face it, me and authority figures hadn't exactly gotten along over the years. Mr. B would have a hay day telling anyone who was willing to listen all about my misdemeanors in the last six months of working at the Superpumper.

I didn't need a bunch of stuffed shirts telling me anything. As far as I was concerned, it was better they stayed in their creepy Colony and I went about my business. I could take care of myself just fine. All I needed to do was stay under the radar, work graveyard shifts and make sure I moved next door to a crazy cat lady. Easy-peasy.

Besides, I was a vampire now. Which, despite it having been a drag thus far, still came with a few cool perks. One of them was having been made into an instant comic book hero...of sorts. It's not like I didn't have talents of my own. I was pretty damn strong, could see in the dark and could move faster than Flash Gordon with a bad case of the trots.. The only protection I needed was a chastity belt when it came to tall, dark and captivating over there.

I narrowed my eyes at Captain Canine and a small shiver of trepidation snaked its way down my spine. I mean, yeah...I had superpowers, but then again, so did he. Five hundred years' worth, give or take a few decades. Some of my self-confidence melted into a puddle at my feet. I gulped, tightening my grip on the spoon shovel as my hands started to sweat. There was no doubt in my mind, if he had wanted to, he could have disposed of me six ways to Sunday.

"Why didn't you?" I asked, tilting my chin up defiantly. I got big coolness points for keeping my voice calm and steady, when I was feeling anything but.

His diamond eyes glowed darkly, taking on brilliant shimmer as they snapped with more than the usual amount of vampire temper. He looked like he was about to say something and then...POOF...he was gone.