Guilty Pleasures - Laurell K. Hamilton [79]
Screams sounded from the direction of the house. A man’s voice yelled, “Perverts!”
“What is it?” I asked.
Nikolaos answered, “The Church of Eternal Life has sent its congregation.” She sounded mildly amused. “I must leave this little get-together.” She whirled to me, leaving Phillip dazed on the grass. “How did you see my scar?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Little liar. We will finish this later.” And she was gone, running like a pale shadow under the trees. At least she hadn’t flown away. I didn’t think my wits could handle that tonight.
I knelt by Phillip. He was bleeding where she had hit him. “Can you hear me?”
“Yes.” He managed to sit up. “We have to get out of here. The churchgoers are always armed.”
I helped him to stand. “Do they invade the freak parties often?”
“Whenever they can,” he said.
He seemed steady on his feet. Good, I could never have carried him far.
Willie said, “I know I don’t have a right to ask, but I’ll help you get to your car.” He wiped his hands down his pants. “Can I catch a ride?”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “Can’t you just disappear like the rest of them?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know how yet.”
“Oh, Willie.” I sighed. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
He grinned at me. Being able to look him in the eyes made him seem almost human. Phillip didn’t object to the vampire joining us. Why had I thought he would?
There were screams from the house. “Somebody’s gonna call the cops,” Willie said.
He was right. I’d never be able to explain it. I grabbed Phillip’s hand and steadied myself while I put the high heels back on. “If I’d known we’d be running from crazed fanatics tonight, I’d have worn lower heels,” I said.
I kept a grip on Phillip’s arm to steady myself through the mine-field of acorns. This was not the time to twist an ankle.
We were almost to the gravel drive when three figures spilled out of the house. One held a club. The others were vampires. They didn’t need a weapon. I opened my purse and got my gun out, held down at my side, hidden against my skirt. I gave Phillip the car keys. “Start the car; I’ll cover our backs.”
“I don’t know how to drive,” he said.
I had forgotten. “Shit!”
“I’ll do it.” Willie took the keys, and I let him.
One of the vampires rushed us, arms wide, hissing. Maybe he meant to scare us; maybe he meant to do us harm. I’d had enough for one night. I clicked off the safety, chambered a round and fired into the ground at his feet.
He hesitated, almost stumbled. “Bullets can’t hurt me, human.”
There was more movement under the trees. I didn’t know if it was friend or foe, or if it made a hell of a lot of difference. The vampire kept coming. It was a residential neighborhood. Bullets can travel a great distance before they hit something. I couldn’t take the chance.
I raised my arm, aimed, and fired. The bullet took him in the stomach. He jerked and sort of crumpled over the wound. His face held astonishment.
“Silver-plated bullets, fang-face.”
Willie went for the car. Phillip hesitated between helping me and going.
“Go, Phillip, now.”
The second vampire was trying to circle around. “Stop right where you are,” I said. The vampire froze. “Anybody makes a threatening gesture, I’m going to put a bullet in their brain.”
“It won’t kill us,” the second vampire said.
“No, but it won’t do you a hell of a lot of good, either.”
The human with the club inched forward. “Don’t,” I told him.
The car started. I didn’t dare glance back at it. I stepped backwards, hoping I wouldn’t trip in the damn high heels. If I fell, they’d rush me. If they rushed me, somebody was going to die.
“Come on, Anita, get in.” It was Phillip, leaning out of the passenger side door.
“Scoot over.” He did, and I slid into the seat. The human rushed us. “Drive, now!”
Willie spun gravel, and I slammed the door shut. I really didn’t want to kill anyone tonight. The human was shielding his face from the gravel as we rushed down the driveway.
The car bounced wildly, nearly colliding with a tree. “Slow